Elden Ring did more than spend the free time of players; it captured their imaginations. Fan speculation and theorycrafting have long been staples of SoulsBorne games, ever since Dark Souls gained major traction. Fan tributes followed just as quickly and have not stopped, including at least one cutscene for Elden Ring's tutorial boss.
One pair of characters that got players talking a lot are the duo of Marika and Radagon, two of the most influential figures in Elden Ring. These two royal figures are the subject of one of the game's biggest twists, but one that might be rooted in something far older than the game: medieval western alchemy.
Warning: Elden Ring Spoilers Ahead
Marika and Radagon's Background
Marika is the god-queen of the Lands Between, and the direct channel between the Greater Will and the rest of the world. Radagon is her second spouse and Elden Lord, a red-headed champion who mastered magic and incantations. All of this is well known and communicated to players early on, but what is less well known is the fact that Radagon and Marika are one and the same. When the player finds Marika at the end of the game, she transforms into Radagon, and later becomes Marika again. How and why this is the case is the subject of many fan theories, and makes the Elden Ring demigod family tree tougher to get one's head around.
Alongside this, it is important to explore one particular fan theory about Elden Ring. There are a lot of theories about what legends, classical stories, or bits of history and biology Elden Ring is referencing through its stories and characters. One theory even claims that Elden Ring is about parasitic mushrooms, and its arguments are surprisingly plausible. However, the theory in question here focuses more on the parallels between parts of Elden Ring and old theories of alchemy. The theory posits that many symbols and story beats in Elden Ring parallel parts of western alchemy that described the process of creating a magnum opus. This referenced a very specific chemical creation said to be the refinement of base materials into a divine or pure substance, the most classic example being the transformation of lead into gold. It's an extensive theory that definitely holds some water, and allows Marika and Radagon to be compared to something called the alchemical rebis.
Elden Ring and Alchemy
The theory is laid out in its base form by Reddit user Parasoulsus, who laid the groundwork for it before the game even fully released. While some parts of the theory do not hold up with the full release of the game, many parts do. The Elden Ring itself bears similarities to illustrations of a perfect substance or being, and the process of transforming lead into gold is applied literally to the Tarnished, who journeys towards gold status. Even with some parts of the theory unsupported by the game's full release, other in-game details support it. For example, Malenia sought to push back her Scarlet Rot corruption with unalloyed gold, a symbol of alchemical purity. Players have since imagined Malenia uncorrupted, although she never becomes so in game.
In a similar manner to creating the perfect substance, western alchemy also theorized the possibility of forging a perfect being. It's possible that this is what Rykard, one of FromSoftware's best spectacle bosses, was going for when being eaten by a giant serpent, an important symbol of immortality. However, the alchemically perfect being is a human entity called a rebis, which is literally the marriage of opposing forces, including those described as male and female. A rebis is often represented by a male and female head on a single body, and that's where Marika and Radagon come in.
The Creation of the Perfect Being
If the parallels of Elden Ring and the principles of alchemy are accepted, then Marika and Radagon were likely two separate beings at one point. According to the game's lore, Marika was once mortal, but became the link between the Greater Will. This made her the vessel of the Elden Ring, the symbol of endless life and golden purity, but she needed a lord. Why she needed a lord is not clear if she was already a vessel for a god, but the rebis theory helps justify this need. If Marika was not yet a rebis, then she was an imperfect vessel for the Elden Ring, and thus, could not yet be complete. Everything known about Marika suggests she hunted for a lord, and finally found her match in Radagon, although this caused problems. For starters, Radagon was already married to Rennala, and his leaving her caused heartbreak, destruction, and was possibly the main spark that set Ranni on her quest to destroy all the Greater Will had built.
Of course this raises the question of Godfrey, and why he was not chosen to be Marika's partner for the rebis union. The answer may lie in Godfrey's nature: he was a warrior, and the lordly ways imposed upon him did not make him less of a bloodthirsty brute. What's more, recently discovered cut content of Godfrey suggests he knew, and opposed, Marika's plan to shatter the Elden Ring. Radagon, by contrast, was brilliant in magic and faith as well as strong, and wholly devoted to Marika. That said, it is possible they did not form a true rebis, as they might not have been in perfect harmony. Some fan theories state that, while Marika shattered the Ring, Radagon tried to repair it, and only Radagon raises arms against the player in battle.
Oddly enough, the two becoming an imperfect rebis would be very on brand for Elden Ring, which depicts many things as images of broken perfection. Most of the divine characters in Elden Ring are looking for ways to become perfect through combining with other beings or things, all without success. An imperfect rebis would be the ultimate example of this failure of perfection.
Iit's possible that the Tarnished becomes a rebis as well in at least one ending. Ranni's full quest has her become the consort of the Tarnished, but if she means to make them her consort in the same way Radagon was Marika's, then perhaps they will forge one being as well, resulting in the metaphorical marriage of a body (the Tarnished's) and soul (Ranni's). Fans may never truly know if it would be more successful than Marika's theoretical fusion.
Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
